DAN Interviews

With #ShareTheLoad, Can Ariel Recreate the Cannes Magic, Again?"

23/2/2016

Ariel, a P&G owned detergent brand, has recently released the second phase of its award winning campaign '#ShareTheLoad'. It shows a young woman returning from work and immediately getting on to the household work such as making food, tea, cleaning house, clothes and other. While her father is at home, he witnesses it and feels sorry for setting a wrong example that laundry and other household work is a woman's job.

During the film, he feels apologetic on behalf of every father, husband and son who thinks that they do not need to contribute in the household chores. In order to correct his mistake, he chooses to help his wife in the household jobs so that he could reduce her load. So, when he returns home, he ensures that he cleans his clothes on his own.

The film, designed and conceptualized by BBDO India, has once again stressed on an extremely pressing issue of the society, which is less talked about. The campaign connects with every man in the house and urges him to reduce the household workload on women in house.

Speaking on the idea behind the campaign, Josy Paul, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, said that the most important message in the film is the brand calling men to #ShareTheLoad and bring about household equality. "It's a poignant film about a dad's self-realization and conversion. The film is about roles and responsibility and about setting the right example by being the right role model. The film is about ensuring the right message for the next generation, free from prejudice. The film is also about the role of laundry within the household," he adds.

Paul goes on to say that it's not just a campaign, it's a movement for social change. "By raising a mirror to society, the brand is seeking a better world where there's equality within the household and hence happier households - where men and women have equal responsibilities, and equal ownership of chores. Laundry is almost the face of the change we are trying to drive across the country," informs Paul.

Ariel had released the first film under this campaign in 2015, where two elderly women were seen discussing the success womenfolk have achieved in today's time. One of them gives the example of her daughter-in-law on how she earns more than her son. While the referred daughter-in-law could be seen getting ready for work, her husband suddenly points out at her for not washing his shirt. The film ends with the super on screen, asking 'Is Laundry only a woman's job'?

The campaign went on to bag a Glass Lion at Cannes in 2015. It was one of the most talked about ads from the agency and was much discussed at other award shows as well. The jury liked the idea and so did the advertising fraternity from all over the world. Glass Lion recognizes work that implicitly or explicitly addresses issues of gender inequality or prejudice, through the conscious representation of gender in advertising.

The new film has already gone viral on social media and clocked over 1.6 lakh views on YouTube in just three days and over 2.7 million views on Facebook. People are already sharing the videos and tagging their friends (both males and females) on the social media to spread awareness about the movement.